Key rural facts

Electrifying rural Ireland, 26 January 1956

The first phase of the Rural Electrification Scheme was implemented between 1946 and 1965, but the scheme itself continued until the late 1970s. The sheer scale of the rural electrification project can be gauged from early estimates of the materials needed for its completion, namely: 1 million poles; 100,000 transformers; and 75,000 miles of line.

For a more detailed information relating to the roll out of the scheme, check out our summary of the process, or our more detailed explanation of its implementation. Click here to view the original map used to plan the scheme.